Poland to collect doctors' salaries and give family doctors new prescribing rights

The Polish Cabinet approved amendments to the health‑care financing act that will allow the Ministry of Health, the National Health Fund (NFZ) and the Agency for Medical Technology Assessment and Tariffs (AOTMiT) to obtain detailed remuneration data for medical staff. Salary information can be linked to individual doctors using PESEL or professional licence numbers, enabling analysis of wages across multiple workplaces and employment forms.

In a separate reform, the government will broaden the range of medical professionals who may issue prescriptions for reimbursed medical devices. From 1 September 2026, family doctors will be able to prescribe prosthetic limbs, while emergency physicians, geriatricians, nephrologists and internists will gain authority to order orthoses, diabetes monitoring equipment, stoma supplies and respiratory aids. The changes aim to simplify the ordering process, improve patient access and provide more transparent cost data without introducing salary caps.

Both measures respond to public debate over high earnings among some physicians—highlighted by a recent case of a doctor earning about 1.6 million PLN annually—and seek to enhance oversight of public health spending while expanding patient services.